Vastavam web: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Russian city of Sochi.The SCO summit will be held on November 30 and December 1 and it is likely to discuss the regional security scenario besides several other issues.”We attach special significance to the SCO in promoting political, economic and people-to-people contacts,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Asked whether she will have bilateral meetings with the Pakistan Foreign Minister or call on Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Kumar said her schedule is still being finalised.”At this stage we cannot say anything,” he said during a media briefing.On whether India will raise at the summit the issue of release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and the larger challenge of terrorism, Kumar said India has been working with like-minded countries to deal with the meanace.

India’s membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan’s entry into the grouping was backed by China.India had been an observer at the SCO since 2005. It has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.